1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus for operatively connecting to a sheet output of a printing apparatus, comprising: a sheet input configured to receive a printed recording sheet from a sheet output of a printing apparatus, at least one processing unit configured to process a sheet received at the sheet input, and at least one support configured to support the apparatus on a floor, the support comprising a support frame and at least one base member, the support frame supporting the sheet input and the processing unit.
The present invention further relates to a method of adjusting a vertical position of a sheet input of a sheet processing apparatus, wherein the sheet processing apparatus comprises at least one processing unit configured to process a sheet received at the sheet input and at least one support configured to support the apparatus on a floor, the support comprising a support frame configured to support the sheet input and the processing unit, the support further comprising at least one base member.
2. Background of the Invention
A sheet processing apparatus of the kind mentioned above is also known as a finisher. The sheet processing apparatus may be, e.g., a folder, a baler, a flat delivery rack, etc.
The sheet input of the sheet processing apparatus is arranged at the sheet output of a printing apparatus, for example a printer or a copier, and is operatively connected to establish an in-line configuration of the printing apparatus and the sheet processing apparatus. Sheets which are ejected from the sheet output of the printing apparatus are sequentially received at the sheet input of the sheet processing apparatus. However, the sheet may as well be a continuous web.
When a sheet processing apparatus is to be used with different printing apparatuses having different vertical positions of their sheet outputs, the vertical position of the sheet input of the sheet processing apparatus has to be adapted to the vertical position of the individual sheet output of a certain printing apparatus.
Folders are known that have a large input table, the slope of which can be adjusted in order to adapt the vertical position of the sheet input side of the input table. The size of the input table for wide format sheets may be approximately one square meter, for example. A disadvantage of an input table with adjustable slope is its large size, which leads to high costs and requires additional floor space. The input table is also of considerable weight.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,843, an alignment module and transporter unit is known, on which an output sheet processing apparatus is mountable. A vertical alignment system has an operator rotatable wheel rotating a threaded rod which raises or lowers an elevating jack system, which in turn raises or lowers a support for the processing apparatus. Thereby, a sheet processing apparatus may be adapted to a sheet output position of a reproduction apparatus. However, the module requires a certain amount of free space below the sheet processing apparatus. Therefore, the height adjustment range is limited to height differences, which are at least as large as the minimum height of the module. Furthermore, the mounting of the sheet processing apparatus on the elevating jack system may bring about mechanical instabilities. Moreover, it is difficult to put a heavy apparatus on top of the alignment module.
When a sheet processing apparatus is shipped from its place of manufacture to a customer, it is desirable to minimize the transport volume. For reasons of transport safety, it is also desirable that the center of gravity of the apparatus is as low as possible. When, however, a support of the sheet processing apparatus is separated from the sheet processing apparatus in order to lower the center of gravity during shipping, the sheet processing apparatus has to be turned over in order to mount the support at the customers site. This is cumbersome and requires, especially in the case of a heavy apparatus, more than one person.